Weight restriction being placed on county bridge to enhance safety
Published on July 11, 2022
The Weld County Department of Public Works is asking the traveling public to be aware of an upcoming weight restriction on a county bridge northwest of Fort Lupton. Bridge 23/14A on Weld County Road (WCR) 23 between Highway 52 and WCR 14.5, will be load-limited to 16 tons for one year while crews prepare to install a new bridge deck.
As 16 tons equals 32,000 pounds, the weight restriction is not likely to impact passenger cars or pickups not pulling large-loaded trailers. However, heavier trucks, such as oil and gas tanker trucks and heavy agricultural equipment will likely not meet the weight restriction, so drivers of those vehicles are asked to plan accordingly and either carry lighter loads or take an alternate route to avoid the bridge.
"We know load restrictions can impact the oil and gas industry as well as our agricultural community," said Curtis Hall, Weld County Public Works Director. "That’s why we want to spread the word about the upcoming weight restriction - to lessen the inconvenience to drivers or eliminate the risk of them being surprised by the change."
The need for weight restriction followed an inspection by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Bridge 23/14A previously had no weight restriction after having been replaced by Public Works as part of a 30-year project to replace each of the county’s 200 load-restricted bridges.
Although Public Works finished replacing each load-restricted bridge in 2019, it’s not uncommon for bridge re-decking to take place and temporary weight restrictions to be reimposed. Hall said because the bottom of bridge decks are susceptible to humidity they often rust. When rust is discovered, it spreads quickly, often requiring the entire bridge deck to be replaced. After the deck is replaced and the weight restriction is in place for a year, the bridge can return to having no weight restrictions provided it meets CDOT’s requirements along with county engineers’ standards of the bridge having a sufficiency rating 20 to 30% greater than what’s required of a bridge with no weight restrictions.
“Ensuring the safety and efficiency of those who travel on our roads and bridges is top priority for our department,” Hall said, explaining that structural tests on county bridges conducted every two years. “That requires us to continually evaluate our work to see if it’s meeting that goal, and if it’s not, make changes as needed.”
Public Works is in the process of installing the signage for the weight restriction. When the scheduling of the new deck replacement in finalized, it will be announced on Weld County's Facebook and Twitter social media pages.
Learn more about the Weld County Department of Public Works.